The Havelock Board of Commissioners voted to spend $33,000 for improvements at the Havelock Recreation Center and Havelock Senior Center during their meeting last week.

Commissioners George Liner, Danny Walsh and Will Lewis voted for the measures, while Commissioner Jim Stuart voted against. Commissioner Karen Lewis was not present.

Liner described the improvements as 90 percent cosmetic. They include two enclosed bulletin boards at the front entrance to the recreation center for $1,050; repainting about 9,000 square feet of walls in 15 locations for $7,425; installation of 25 sheets of fiberglass reinforced board in the hallways and arts and craft room for $7,250; replacement of six fluorescent lighting fixtures that were found to be in violation of OSHA standards for $2,875; installation of two wall mounted brackets for two television screens for $925; and $9,500 for upgrading two front offices and the library area of the senior center.

If there is money left over, the city staff was asked to replace the vanity countertop in the menís and womenís bathrooms at the recreation center.

"A million people have been through there and this will be the first time weíve put anything into it since it opened," Mayor Jimmy Sanders said.

In other business, the board:

-- heard a report on the result of a strategic planning group organized by the city and the Havelock Chamber of Commerce. The goal is to create a plan that identifies future needs of the city, with the chamber offering support and opportunities to form partnerships with other organizations to help grow commercial business in Havelock.

-- decided to write a letter in opposition to proposed tolls on the Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach ferry crossing the Neuse River. The tolls are slated to go into effect July 1. A meeting on the proposed tolls is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Pamlico Community College.